Vehicle-wheel.



..S. H. EASTERD'AY.

VEHICILEWHEEL. APPLICATION FI LE D NOV. 30. I914.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES.

\ INVENTO/Q.

df'ffiEwierday,

'ATTORNEL- S.'H.;EAS TERDAY. VE'HJCLE WHE'EL. APPLICATION HLED NOV. 30.[914. 1, 164,706, Patented Deg. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 1111mm: JEEwZerday,

BY I

14 E In!!! WITNESSES:

i ATTORNEY.

SIDNEY H. EASTERDAY, or KANSAS CITY, ixnsscmm.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters l'atent. I

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

- 7 Application filed l Iovember so, 1914. Serial no, 874,870.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be 1t-known that I, SIDNEY H. EASTER DAY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residand more particularly to automobile Wheels embodying wirespokes, and the primary object ,of-the invention is to provide new anduseful means whereby all of the spokes can be simultaneously anduniformly ten- .s1oned, and also means whereby a defective spoke can bereadily ,replaced by a new one.

, Other features of the invention willherein'after appear, and in orderthat saidine vention may be fully understood, reference .will now bemadeto the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure-lie a broken side elevation of a wheel'embodying my invention. Fi2 is a front elevation of the wheel. .Fig. 3 is a cross section of thewheel rim, enlarged. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the wheel hub.-Fig. 5 is an irregular section on line V-V of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is anelevation of a ratchet plate constituting part of the wheel hub. Fig. 7.is an elevation of one of the .wheel spokes.

Fig. -8 is a detail of a split washer employed in carrying out theinvention. v

In carrying out the invention, I employ a metallic rim 1 of ordinaryconfiguration,

except that it is provided with two annular rows of sockets 2 to receivethe outer heads 3 of spokes I. Said sockets 2 are also ofsuflicient'depth to' receive split washers 5,

which prevent the heads 3 from pulling out through the holes 6 in thebottoms of the sockets 2. The sides of the sockets 2 also prevent thesplit washer 5 from spreading and allowing the heads to passtherethrough.

The two rows of sockets 2 are spaced apart 'as disclosed by Fig. 3, sothat the upper portions of the spokes may be crossed and thus extend ata greater angle to a vertical plane, in order to better resist lateralstralns tending to dish the wheel.

7 designates the wheel hub, whlch conslsts generally of a tubularextension 8, a disk 9 integral with one end of said tubular extension 8,and ratchet plates-10 and 11 adjustable upon the tubular extension 8 forthe purpose of tensiomng the spokes e. The

tubular extension 8 and. the disk 9 are reinforced at theirjuncture-with the ribs 12, and said disk has an integral'annular flange13 at its'outer margin provided with a row of holes 14, to receive theinner heads 15 of the spokes 4;. The ratchet plates 10 and 11,'like thed sk 9, have annular marginal flanges 16 and; 17 provided with holes 18and 19, respectively, to receive a number of the spokes 4-. The-ratchetplate 10 may be ad- Justed longitudinally of the tubular extension 8,but is prevented from rotating thereon by oppositely-dis1msed lugs .20on said ratchet plate entering longitudinal grooves 21 in the tubularextension (see Figs. and 5). The ratchet plate 11 is free to move bothrotatably and longitudinally of thetubular extension 8, for the purposeof tensioning the spokes, as will hereinafter appear. The side of theflange 16 on the ratchet plate 10 has ratchet teeth 22, to engagecorresponding ratchet teeth 23 on the adjacent side of the flange 13 ofthe ratchet plate. 11, to secure the latter from backward rotation.Lateral adjustment of the ratchet plates 10 and 11' is accomplished by anut 24, engaging the threaded-portion 25 of the same from mud, dust,etc.

26 designates ahub cap adapted to engage the threaded portion 25 andbear against the ratchet plate 11, so that the two ratchet plates 10 and11 may be firmly secured between the nut 21 and said hub cap 26.

In practice, the outer heads 3 of the spokes i are first placed throughthe holes 11, 18 and 19 in the flanges 13, 16 and 17,

respectively, of the hub and then passed through the holes 6 in the rim1, where they are secured in the sockets-2 by the split washers 5. Theinner heads 15 of the spokes 4, being larger than the outer heads 3,will not pass through the holes in the hub flanges, and consequentlywashers or other securing devices are unnecessary. Afte r the spokes athave all been placed in position, the ratchet plate 11 is rotatedthrough the intermediacy of a spanner wrench, or other tool, to take upthe greater portion of the slack in the spokes. .Vhen thus rotating theratchet plate 11, the slantingsides of its teeth 23 slip by thecorresponding sides of the ratchet teeth 22 until the rotary ,thenaccomplished by While I have shown and described the preferred form ofmy invention, I of course reserve the right to make such changes in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as properly fallwithin the spirit and scope ofthe claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and 'desire to secureby Letters Patent, is: t

1. A vehicle wheel, consisting of a rim, wire spokes connected at oneend to said rim, and a hub to which the other end of the spokes isconnected, said hub embodying ratchet plates to simultaneously tensionthe spokes and means to move the plates longitudinally of the hub,substantially as I described.

2. In a vehicle wheel, a hub, a member slidable on the hub, a secondmember slidable and rotatable on the hub, means to lock the secondmember to the first named member, spokes connected to the wheel rim andto said members, and means to move said members longitudinally of thehub and in unison when locked.

3. In a vehicle wheel, a hub having a member on one end to which some ofthe spokes are connected, and a pair of relatively rotatable members onthe opposite end of the hub to each of which other of the spokes areindependently connected.

4. In a vehicle wheel, a hub, a rigid member on the hub to which some ofthe spokes are connected a second non-rotatable member on the hub towhich other of the spokes are connected, a third member rotatable on thehub to which still other of the spokes are connected, and means to locksaid third member against rotation. V I

5. In a vehicle wheel, a hub consisting of a disk, a tubular extensionprojecting laterally from said disk'and provided with pe riphcralthreads, a plate slidable upon said, extenslon, a second plate slidableand retatable upon the extension and coacting with the first plate, anda nut engaging the peripheral 'tln'eads of theflex'tension to adjust theplates longitudinally of said extension; I,

6. In a vehicle wheel, a rim. spokes suitably connected at their outerends to said rim, a disk to which a number of the spokes are suitablyconnected at their inner ends. a tubular extension projecting laterallyfrom said disk and provided with a longi- ,tudinal groove, a ratchetplate slidably mounted upon said extension and provided with a lug toenter said groove, a number of the spokes being connected at their innerends to said ratchet plate, a second ratchet plate slidable androtatable upon the ex tension and having its teeth adapted to en gagethe teeth of the first ratchet plate, a number of the spokes beingconnected at their inner ends to the second ratchet plate, I

and means to adjust the ratchet plates longitudinally of the extension.

7. In a vehicle' whee l, a rim, spokes suit ably connected at theirouter ends to said run, a disk having amarginal. flange to which anumber of the spokes are suitably connectedat their inner ends, atubular extension projecting laterally from said disk and provided withperipheral threads and, longitudinal grooves, a ,ratchet plate slid ablymounted upon s'aid extension and provided with lugs to enter thegrooves, said ratchet plate having an annular flange provided withratchet teeth and to which a number of the spokes are suitably connectedat their inner ends, a second ratchet plate slidably and rotatablymounted upon the extension and having an annular flange provided withratchet teeth to engage those on the first ratchet plate, said flange onthe second ratchet plate having connections with the inner ends of theremainder of the spokes, so that when said second ratchet plate isrotated the spokes will be simul taneously adjusted, and a nut engagingthe threads of the extension to ad ust the ratchet plates laterally toeffect final tensioning of the spokes, substantially as described.

SIDNEY H. EASTERDAY;

Witnesses 4 F. G. FISCHER, L. J. Frscnnn,

